The Three Deaths
by Puppysizedraptors
Summary: The tale of the three brothers from Harry Potter from the perspective of death. Death is not who you think he will be.


Sivils 6

Amy Sivils

Henning

Creative Writing

6/3/13

The Three Deaths

I am Death. I had a name when I was human, but I can't remember it, not since I was tricked into becoming the next Death. I am one of three, but we barely talk and I like it that way. I can apparate, which means to magically teleport, and I have an invisibility cloak that never wears out. I use it to hide myself from young girls, who fall in love with me and then refuse to go to the Other Side. It makes my job much harder. I was a wizard before I was Death. Now, I have one job; to escort the souls of the dead to the Other Side.

It's the most boring job _ever_.

But once in a while something good happens, like the day I met the Peverell brothers, Antioch, Cadmus, and Ignotus. They were wizards. On that day, I was alerted that three travelers were nearing a treacherous river. I knew the river well, it was in my territory and I had to take travelers from there _all the freaking time_. Hey travelers! It's really hard to find your souls when they're floating down a river so _stop falling in_.

Anyways…I waited for a few minutes by the cliff, under my cloak. The three brothers appeared from the trees and looked at the river. They discussed how to get over; I was too far down to hear them. They pulled out their wands and waved them. Tree roots grew out of the two cliffs over the river and wound together into a large, sturdy bridge. They started to cross, but I apparated up to the bridge and pulled off my cloak. The brothers stepped back in fear. I don't know why, I'm a nineteen year old kid with black hair, black shoes, slacks, and button up shirt. Well, that's what I look like. I'm over seven hundred years old. The only hints that I'm Death are my piercing blue-white eyes and my rectangle amulet that creates a portal to the Other Side.

"Who are you?" The oldest brother, Antioch, called out.

"I am Death," I said, folding my cloak over my arm.

"How do I know you are Death?" The second brother, Cadmus, questioned.

"How do you know I'm not?"

"Well said," The third brother, Ignotus, said quietly. I bowed to them.

"Thank you, Peverell brothers, for creating this bridge. I have had to escort many travelers from this river." Because they're too dumb not to fall in!

"You value human life?" Cadmus asked.

"I was human once." I gave Cadmus an icy stare. "I will give you each a gift for your service. Antioch?" I turned to the first brother. He thought for a very short moment.

"I want the most powerful wand in existence." I frowned.

"You are asking to meet me again soon. Do you think I'm _cute?_ "

"I want the wand!" Antioch ordered. I pulled a branch from an elm tree and created a wand. He took it with greed in his eyes. I turned to Cadmus.

"And you?"

"I want an object able to recall others from Death."

"I took her to the other side. She will not want to come back. She is at peace."

"I want my love back!" I dropped to the river and picked up an unusually symmetrical stone. I offered it to him, who took it with longing. I looked last on Ignotus.

"I want to be able to leave here without being followed by you."

"I admire your humble nature." I unwillingly unfolded my cloak and handed it to him. He wrapped it around himself, disappearing from my view and then reappeared.

"Thank you." I step aside and they carry on. I apparated away to rescue the spirit of a girl who just drowned.

A week later I went to a small pub off the beaten path to collect a man whose throat had been slit. When I arrived I faced none other than Antioch Peverell. I leaned against the door frame. Antioch sits on the bed next to his body, his head in his hands.

"Well, well, well, Antioch Peverell," I say. Antioch looks up.

"You!" He jumps up and tried to choke me. He squeezes my throat, but it does nothing to me. I don't have to breathe.

"I didn't kill you. I take souls to the Other Side. The Big Man upstairs decides when your time is up."

"Why are you here?"

"It's time to go to the Other Side."

"What's over there?"

"How should I know? I've been doing this job for over seven hundred years. I've never been to the Other Side. I just take you to the door."

"How far?"

"Right here." I tapped my amulet. A ball of light shot from it and created a doorway of light. Antioch stood and faced me.

"Protect my brothers."

"I can't do that. I don't have the power." Antioch said over his shoulder and walked through the doorway.

"The wand wasn't worth it." He disappeared. I nodded.

"I knew it wasn't," I said to the empty room. The doorway flashed back into my amulet. I apparated away.

A month later I went to pick up a suicide. Cadmus Peverell sat on the ground watching his cold body sway on the end of a rope strung around his neck. He looked down when I walked in.

"Take me to her. The stone didn't work."

"It brought her back. I never said she would be the same as before." I tapped the amulet and Cadmus walked through without another word.

I searched for Ignotus for years. I had no desire to take him; I couldn't even if I wanted to. I only wanted to tell him what had become of his brothers. The cloak allowed him to elude me for decades. I had no way of communicating to him that I meant no harm.

Eighty-five years later I found Ignotus. I walked into his modest home. He sat at the table, the cloak folded before him, age shown clearly on his weary face. A young man leaned against the door frame, a spitting image of young Ignotus with his unruly black hair and hazel eyes. He looked at me with anger.

"Come for my father have you?"

"I have only come to tell him of his brothers' deaths. I couldn't kill your father even if I wanted too."

"I know they passed. It's time for me to go too. I am old and tired of this world."

"Father-"

"I have made my decision, James." He tried to stand with some difficulty. James started to help him, but Ignotus held up his hand.

"I must do this on my own. Take the cloak, it will protect you." James took the cloak and draped it over his arm.

"I love you, Dad."

"I love you too, James. You have made me proud." He stands from the chair, but only his spirit, his body limp and dead. James kneels by his father's body. Ignotus turned to me.

"I am ready." I called the white doorway again. As the light washed over Ignotus, he looked young again. He noticed my look of jealousy.

"What bothers you?"

"I am tired as well. I have had this duty of taking souls to the Other Side for eight centuries. I am not allowed to pass on until I find another to take my place as Death."

"I will take your place."

"This life is a hard one."

"You deserve peace." Ignotus took my hand in his now young ones. "Pass on the torch." I pulled the amulet over my head and set it around Ignotus' neck. I walked to the light. A name flashed behind my eyes, my name. I smiled and entered the light.

Many years later

"I've been waiting for you, Albus." Death says leaning against the Astronomy tower. He watches a boy who looks very similar to him run across the grounds.

"I've met you before, when you took my sister." Albus says, young again by the light door. "I made my decision. I will take your place." Death passes on the amulet to the young man and walks to the door.

Ignotus is greeted by his predecessor, Godric Gryffindor's only son, Gideon.

And they lived, in death, happily ever after.


End file.
